Water Resources Committee

October 4, 2018

Special thanks to our excellent presenters on the Think Blue Massachusetts educational campaign on Stormwater. Robin Craver, Town Administrator in Charlton and Chair of the Massachusetts Statewide Municipal Stormwater Coalition, and Kerry Reed, P.E., LEED AP, Senior Stormwater & Environmental Engineer for Framingham DPW, offered a detailed presentation on the many FREE tools and resources created by the Coalition thanks to funding from MassDEP. Please click the image below to see the presentation...

August 31, 2017

Thanks to Representative Carolyn Dykema and Beth Card, Deputy Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for the robust and detailed discussion on legislation to enable the Commonwealth's administration of the Massachusetts Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. The Bill number currently under consideration is H.2777. Perspectives on Primacy drew a large number of attendees from both the public and private sector as well as environmental advocates. Click here to access the meeting packet. See below for links to the Deputy Commissioner's and Representative Dykema's presentations.

Thanks to Vandana Rao, Assistant Director for Water Policy at the Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs for her detailed presentation on Interbasin Transfer Act Revisions and Drought Planning/Management. Click on the image below to see the presentation.

December 8, 2016

Special thanks to Michael Murphy, Director of Water Innovation for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), for his detailed presentation on MassCEC's history and mission, with a focus on the Massachusetts Water Innovation Industry and MassCEC funding programs that have a water tech component. We had a great discussion and very much appreciate the ongoing and developing work at MassCEC related to water innovation.

According to the EPA MS4 Site, "The 2016 Massachusetts Small MS4 General Permit was signed April 4, 2016 and will become effective July 1, 2017. The final permit reflects modifications to the 2014 draft small MS4 general permit released for comment on September 30, 2014 and replaces the 2003 small MS4 general permit for MS4 operators within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."

September 15, 2015

We were pleased to host Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Martin Suuberg, as well as DEP Deputy Commissioner Beth Card, and Assistant Commissioner of the Bureau of Water Resources Doug Fine. Per a helpful suggestion from a Water Committee attendee, we will also heard from two new DEP offices, namely the Office of Municipal Partnership and Governmental Affairs, directed by Beth Riportella and the Office of Regulatory and Permit Ombudsman and Special Project, directed by Kate Kerigan. The new Director of the Central Regional Office, MaryJude Pigsley also attended.A variety of topics were discussed from Executive Order 562 (Regulatory Review) to NPDES Delegation to an update on the MS4 Permit. We have provided a link to the presentation below, for your convenience, as well as links to MassDEP web pages for upcoming listening sessions on EO 562 and the regulations under consideration for MassDEP.

Bob Cox, an environmental attorney with Bowditch & Dewy, LLP, presented, "EPA's Draft MS4 Permit: Challenges to EPA's Legal Authority?" Written comments submitted to EPA Region I on its 2014 Draft Massachusetts Small MS4 General Permit earlier this year focused not only on concerns about costs, timing, and the practicalities of compliance by municipalities, but also questioned EPA’s legal authority to impose certain requirements. What are those legal challenges and how will they fare after EPA’s review?

Be sure to check out the Jeopardy questions in the presentation and click here for the answers.

March 26, 2015:

The focus of the meeting was the Draft Massachusetts MS4 Permit, for which the comment period closed on February 27th. The March meeting included a panel discussion with Michael Giroux, Eric Correia, & Cameron Peterson, WPI students who completed a Cost Analysis of the Permit; Julie Conroy, Senior Environmental Planner at MAPC; and Bill Arcieri, Senior Water Resources Specialist at VHB. Below you will find not only the meeting materials but additional links and resources for your convenience:

The focus of the meeting was on the MWRA commissioned Study by the Collins Center on the Investments in Water and Wastewater Infrastructure and Economic Development. Speakers included Monica Lamboy of The Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management in the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston and Joseph Favaloro, Executive Director of MWRA Advisory Board. See below for links to the presentations:

The focus of this meeting was on MassDEP's Sustainable Water Management Initiative. We heard from Beth Card, Assistant Commissioner at the Bureau of Resource Protection,Becky Weidman, Director, Division of Watershed Management, and Duane LeVangie, Manager of the Water Management Program, all from MassDEP.

April 9, 2014 Meeting:

The Partnership’s Water Resources Committee was provided with a detailed overview of the Drinking Water & Wastewater Infrastructure Legislation (S2021) that was unanimously passed by the state Senate and now awaits action by the House Ways & Means Committee. Senator Jamie Eldridge, the bill’s sponsor, and Representative Carolyn Dykema, who sponsored several similar bills in the House, provided legislative perspectives while discussing the events leading to this pivotal moment for statewide attention on water infrastructure.

Senate Bill 2021 includes Financing and Increased Incentives such as adding $50 Million to the State Revolving Loan Fund Program, Reforms like requiring the Board of the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust to establish and publish guidelines for best management practices in water management, as well as Technical Assistance, System Performance, Impact Fees, Green Infrastructure, Nitrogen Removal and Other Provisions.

Both legislators chaired the Water Infrastructure Finance Commission, which made 23 recommendations toward meeting the financing gap in water and wastewater infrastructure, estimated at $20 Billion over the next 20 years. The legislation currently under consideration seeks to address some of the recommendations.

Since the Commission's report, the Water Infrastructure Alliance was formed to continue the work of interested stakeholders. Led by Jennifer Pederson, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Water Works Association, and Abbie Goodman, Executive Director of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts, the Alliance is working to create greater public awareness of the water infrastructure financing challenge facing our communities and the Commonwealth and they are in support of the proposed legislation. The Alliance's public outreach effort included updating attendees at the Partnership's Water Resources Committee meeting. Along with Representative Dykema and Senator Eldridge, Ms. Pederson and Ms. Goodman answered several questions from members of the Partnership's Water Resources Committee. Attendees include water professionals from both the public and private sectors, municipal representatives and environmental groups. The presentation and discussion provided a comprehensive review of this highly technical legislation.

The Water Resources Committee is chaired by Martin Pillsbury of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and Gerry Preble of Beals + Thomas, consistent with the Partnership's public and private stakeholders and leadership.